Railroad draft appliance



Oct. 20,1925. v I 1.5 7.932

R. F. H ALL RAILROAD DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed June. 14. 1923' I7 vl uesszs6' 5 surfaces. One of said last state buffers is Patented'Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITEDSTA'IVLES ,551,932 PATENT; orrlcn.

none-arr. run, or scnnnncranmnnw Yoax.

nmaoan Dam summon 9 Application filed June 14, 1922. Serial no. 845,288.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. HALL, of

Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady required relative positions oncurved track,

of the pins of the without interference or binding of the buffermembers, and to accomplish thisend by the application of a minimumnumber of parts. A further object of the invention is to provide meansfor the compress1on of the buffer springs, in coupling a locomotive andtender together, which will obviate the necessity of compressing saidsprings by impact as in prior practice. I

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. j

In a prior and commonly used construction of draft appliances of thegeneral class to which my invention relates, buffers having convexsurfaces are provided on both the locomotive and tender, the radii oftheir adjacent surfaces bein struck from thecentres raw bar whichconnects the two vehicles. A floating block, the front and rear surfacesof which are concave, in accordance with the convexity of the surfacesof the locomotive and tender bufi'ers, is

interposed between, and fits a ainst said adapted to be capable ofadjustment, in the direction of the longitudinal central lane of thevehicle on which it is located, an such adjustment, is ordinarilyeffected by a wedge at the back of the buffer.

A device of the above character institutes a theoretically correctrelation between its members for any angular relation of the 10-comotive and tender, .and will allow free movement, if properlyadjusted, but it'lias' been found subject to the objection, in practice,that in making adjustment of the wedge, to take up slack 1n theparts,the workmen frequently carry the adjustment so far that all slack istaken up and the surfaces are brought closely in contact, so that'justment results in lockin to,-spri-ngs are applied at t freedom ofmovement is lost. This maladthe two vehicles together, preventing theirrelative movement, and causing undue wear of the flanges of tender truckwheels, as well as other objectionable results. I

In a later design of the appliance referred erear of one of the convexfaced chafing members, and act to automatically take u slack, withoutproducing undue binding. etween the adjacent; members. This applicationof springs to the Q chafing member, imparts to it a capacity for?angular movement about a vertical axis, and L7 permits the eliminationof the floating lock In the accompanying drawings: Figure'l I is a.planor top view of the adjoining port ons of a locomotive and tender,illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a

vertical longitudinal central section, and

Fig 3, a horizontal section through the bu er of the tender and itscase, illustrating a modification of structural detail.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptlvely to the specificembodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, and first to Fi s. 1 and2 of the drawings, two

a draw bar, 1, the ends of which are fitted in, 3, on the centrall%, tothe front end of the tender,

contact ng maintained, in the various relathe afing block and thebuffer, throughout the entire extent of the curved face of tivepositions of the two vehicles, between" the latter. .The buffer, 5, isheld in the case, with the capacity of a limited degree of movementtowards and from the rear wall thereof, by a pin,6', passingthroughlongitudinal slots m the top and bottom of the case, and bears thereonthrough helical springs, 7,- interposed between it and the rear wallof-the case.

In prior constructions of the class to-which my invention relates, aconvexl curved chafingmember has been applie on one railroad ve icles(in the instance illustrated, I a locomotive and tender) are connectedby vehicle, bearing on a flat or plane surface F or obvious reasons,this method appli- 1 bufi'eron the other. A construction of such 1character, while admitting, of the necessary relative movement of thecontacting members on curved track, is subject to the objectio'n' that.the abutting surfaces of said members have a line contact .only, msteadI of the extended bearing of a surface conrelative movement of thelocomotive and tender on tangent track, correspondingly reducing theeffect of lateral, vibration, and thereby increasing the steadiness ofthe running of the two vehicles. As said ve- 'hicles assume variousrelative angular positions on curved track, the buffer moves laterally,relatively to the chafing block, and, at the same time, has an angularmovement, relatively to its support, permitted by the interposition ofthe springs'between it and the supporting case.

In the standing, on curved track, adjacent one to the other, of twosimilar vehicles, having equal bases, their longitudinal central planesintersect in a plane midway between their wheel bases. Inasmuchas thewheel bases of a locomotive and a tender are.

not of equal length, and are also at unequal distances from theiradjacent ends, their central planes, whenboth vehicles are on a curvedtrack, usually intersect in a plane forward of the connection betweenthem. For a given combination of relative proportions, the position ofthe plane of intersection ,will not materially chan e, within the limitsof the radii of curves 0 the track that are usually met with in railroadservice. In the practice of my invention, the

' radius of the are of curvature of the abuttin surfaces of thechafin'block, 4, and bu er, 5, is preferably strucl r from an axial line,located, as nearly as may be, to the plane. of intersection of thecentral planes of the locomotive and tender. The result of such locationis to render the change in compression of the two springs, 7, 7,approximatel "eqiual, when the locomotive and tender are hot on curvedtrack. 7

A difliculty is encountered, in practice, in

' the application of the spring type of buffer,

due to the necessit of compressing the springs to their war ingposition, in orderv to permit of the application 'of the draw bar .pins,2 and 3, to the draw bar, 1,v which couples the locomotive and tendertogether. This application is sometimes effected by bumpin thelocomotive and tender-together,

' by anot er locomotive, thereby compressing thebu-fier springs byimpact. One of the draw bar ms is then. dropped into place, the otheraving been previously inserted,

the springs.

cation is objectionable.

the buffer case, 6, is cut away, so as to allow the springs, 7, 7, tobear directly on the front of the frame, I), of the tender. The partsare assembled, asshown in Fig. 3, and the connecting pin, .6, is passedthrou 11 holes in the top and bottom plates of't e' case, 6, and throughthe buffer, 5, thereby connecting the buffer and bufier case,'andtransferring any; load due to compression'of the .springs', through thebufier to the case. 'With the springs in their free condition, the sideflanges, 6", 6 of the buffer case will bespaced from the front face ofthe tender, fora distance'equal to the allowance for the desired workingornormal compression of Nuts, 8, are then drawn tight on bolts, 8,which. pass through the front plate of the tender frame, I), and throughI After the insertion: of the thereby transferring the spring load fromthe buffer case to the locomotive chafing block, through the buii'er.-The connecting pin, 6, is then withdrawn, and the nuts, 8*,

are drawn up, so as to bring the buffer case side flanges, 6, into theirnormal. position of contact with the front of the -tender frame. Thebolts, 8, and nuts, 8, thus serve both to initially com ressthe springs,7, and to connnect the bu er case to the tender frame.-' p

It is to be understood that the form of construction which is shown inFig. 3, and

hereinbefore described, is applicable, not merely in connection with thespecific formv of spring buffer. which is herein set forth, but alsowith any other spring buffer. con struction of the same general ty e.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

"1. Ina draft gear for railroad'vehicles, thecombmatlon of a buffercase, open at its front and rear faces and having laterally extendingflanges on its rear. face; a buffer. slidabl mountedm said case andextending throug the opening in the front face thereof;,springs withinthe case and extending through the opening in the rear face so vasremovable pin fixedly connecting the buffer and buffer case; adjustingbolts, fixed to the frame of the vehicle on which the buffer-case 'toexert outward pressure on the-buffer; a

is supported and passing through said lateral flanges and nuts engagingsaid adjusting bolts. v

2. In a draft gear for railroed vehicles,

have a fore and aft movement relatively 10 thereto, and a pinto rigidlysecure said buffer and case together, and meansrto draw said caseagainst its vehicle to hold said the combination of a-convex blockrigidly \springs under compression to permit the secured to one vehicle,a concave bufi'er slidably supported on the other vehicle, springsbetween the latter and said buffer, abufier case carried by said lattervehicle so as to draw-bar connection between the vehicles to 15 be made,said pin being removable.

ROBERT F. HALL.

